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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 02 Hansard (Thursday, 4 March 2004) . . Page.. 852 ..

(4) What methods are employed to ensure that only Canberra’s most needy are occupying Government houses.

Mr Wood: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:

(1) There are no known instances of sub-leasing. As soon as Housing ACT becomes aware of an illegal sub letting arrangement legal action is taken to either reclaim the property or for the tenant to resume occupancy.

(2) Sub-letting is not permitted.

(3) The number of Government employees in Housing ACT properties is not known because if they are not eligible for rebate, employer details are not recorded because of the provisions of the Privacy Act. If they are eligible for a rebate the employers detail is only recorded on the application and is not collated in any central register.

(4) Allocations to public housing are made in accordance with the Public Rental Housing Assistance Program, which requires applicants for housing assistance to meet income and asset tests. Assistance is required to be provided in accordance with an applicant’s assessed priority need and the order in which they apply for housing. Once housed, tenants have security of tenure in accordance with Government policy. Social housing is also provided, through community organizations, on a comparable basis to public housing using publicly provided dwellings.

Housing—vandalism costs
(Question No 1264)

Mrs Burke asked the Minister for Disability, Housing and Community Services, upon notice:

What is the cost to the Government through vandalism to public housing properties since November 2001 to date and detail such costs in relation to

(a) multi-unit complexes and

(b) single dwellings.

Mr Wood: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:

Housing ACT has not always identified vandalism rectification works separately. Although graffiti removal and its surveillance have been recorded separately by Housing ACT since before 2001, it is only in recent months that general vandalism has been separated out and is identifiable.

Since November 2001 approximately $148,000 in expenditure has been recorded under the category of graffiti treatment and the more recent category of third party vandalism. The vast majority of these works have been incurred on multi-unit complexes.

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